Overview

Tyrosinemia type 1 is a genetic disorder characterized by elevated blood levels of the amino acid tyrosine, a building block of most proteins. This condition is caused by a shortage of the enzyme fumarylacetoacetate hydrolase, one of the enzymes required for the multi-step process that breaks down tyrosine. This enzyme shortage is caused by mutations in the FAHgene. Symptoms usually appear in the first few months of life and include failure to thrive, diarrhea, vomiting, jaundice, cabbage-like odor, and increased tendency to bleed (particularly nosebleeds). Tyrosinemia type I can lead to liver and kidney failure, problems affecting the nervous system, and an increased risk of liver cancer. This condition is inherited in an autosomal recessive manner.[1]

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Basic Information

The National Organization for Rare Disorders (NORD) is a federation of more than 130 nonprofit voluntary health organizations serving people with rare disorders. Click on the link to view information on this topic.

The Screening, Technology And Research in Genetics (STAR-G) Project has a fact sheet on this condition, which was written specifically for families that have received a diagnosis as a result of newborn screening. This fact sheet provides general information about the condition and answers questions that are of particular concern to parents.

In Depth Information

Medscape Reference provides information on this topic. You may need to register to view the medical textbook, but registration is free.

MeSH® (Medical Subject Headings) is a terminology tool used by the National Library of Medicine. Click on the link to view information on this topic.

Online Mendelian Inheritance in Man (OMIM) is a catalog of human genes and genetic disorders. Each entry has a summary of related medical articles. It is meant for health care professionals and researchers. OMIM is maintained by Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine.

Orphanet is a European reference portal for information on rare diseases and orphan drugs. Access to this database is free of charge.

PubMed is a searchable database of medical literature and lists journal articles that discuss Tyrosinemia type 1. Click on the link to view a sample search on this topic.